Sasuke the Bride
by Funk Coffin
Summary: The Uchiha family is broke. The Namikaze/Uzumaki family is looking for a bride for their son, and is even willing to pay a bride wealth. Too bad the Uchihas don't have a daughter...or do they? NaruSasu AU Multi-chap. Yaoi
1. Chapter 1

_Hey everyone! Sorry for no updates recently. I've been really busy this summer, and have had no time. I really want to take a break from all things ItaSasu, and just write a whole new story for now. Don't worry, I'm not discontinuing it, I just need to back away from brotherly love for a while. ;)_

_So I was bored one day, a few weeks ago, and this story randomly just entered my mind. It's AU, obviously. Naruto/Sasuke, also obvious. Is it rather far-fetched? Yup. Has it been written before? Probably. But I don't care. I want to tell it anyway.  
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_Oh, and yes, despite the title which may hint that Sasuke is a girl in this story, this is still totally boy on boy yaoi. Like I could write a het fiction? You'll see...  
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_Also, for the record, I'm not usually one for cross-dressing. In fact, it generally creeps me out. But once again, you'll see why I have it._

_Oh, and spoilers, if you don't know who Naruto's parents are. Oh, and for simplicity, Naruto's last name is Namikaze. Get it, got it, got it, get it?__ As for the families, just picture them as big-name families like the Hiltons, Kennedys, Rockefellers, etc.  
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_I don't own Naruto. TV Tokyo and Masashi Kishimoto neither gain nor lose anything from me writing this._

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* * *

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The Uchiha family was broke. That's all there was to it. What had once been the most prosperous family in the Fire Nation, was now losing their status. Fast. Sure, they still owned many luxurious things, and still lived in expensive mansions, but how long could they keep it up before the bank took everything away? They would be able to keep everything if they sold their businesses to their rivals, the Hyuugas, but they would rather live on the streets than be forced to bow down to them.

How could this have happened? It may have been in part from the family's biggest potential, Uchiha Itachi, going off on his own, wanting nothing to do with the family, just when he was of age to be beneficial. It may have been _because _the family was so influential to society, that the rest of the nation felt that they were a threat, and purposely sought to avoid them and make business elsewhere. It probably was a combination of many reasons, when it all came down to it.

Whatever the reason, the Uchihas needed a turnaround fast. Some way that they could at least break even with all the debts they had recently acquired.

"Things would be so much easier if we just had a daughter to get a bride wealth from," Uchiha Fugaku, head of the Uchiha family, complained to his wife, Mikoto. He glared out the window towards his younger son, Sasuke, who was sitting in the yard doing who knows what.

"I thought it was the other way around," Mikoto replied calmly, sitting at the table reading some romantic novel, "That the bride's family pays the groom a dowry. But anyway, that is really old fashioned. No one does that anymore."

"Well, the Namikaze family is offering a bride wealth of thirty million ryo or more, to whatever family of higher class can present a virgin daughter that pleases their son the most."

"That is very generous, dear, but we only have a son."

Fugaku glanced out the window watching his son, who was laying on the grass, watching the sky. He was a very attractive boy, silky black hair, smooth pale skin, perfect facial features. "Well, we have a son who could easily _pass _for a girl."

Mikoto looked up. "There is no way. They would find out."

"How so? Unlike Itachi who has been in every gossip magazine, Sasuke hasn't been exactly well know. The boy hardly ever leaves the Uchiha grounds! He is practically unknown to the outside world!"

"Known enough."

"We could say that we were just pretending that Sasuke was a boy, due to the Uchiha family being extremely sexist. It wouldn't be the first time that has happened in the history of our family." He spoke the truth. There had been many cases of Uchiha girl raised to be men. Sure, the family wasn't sexist anymore, but who was to know that?

"Birth certificate."

"I know people who can fix that."

"What about his voice or his figure?"

"He can practice making it higher. He can have a lower toned voice! Plus, he'll only wear clothes that won't show figure."

"They _would _find out eventually, even if not until the wedding night."

"We would already have our money."

"We could be in huge trouble."

"How so? Same-sex marriages are legal in our country. Plus, almost all of the best attorneys are loyal to us."

"Our reputation could be ruined."

"Fine, after the wedding we could flee the country."

"What about Sasuke?"

"He is eighteen now, he can deal with his own problems."

"Why don't we just try and get him a bride for a dowry?"

"From what family? The Hyuugas would never give their daughter to us! No family besides them and the Namikazes, who have no daughter anyway, could give us more than 30 million ryo."

Mikoto gave in. "Fine, call Sasuke in," she sighed, "He's not going to like the idea, you know."

* * *

"You_ are_ kidding, right?" Sasuke stated abruptly as his parents spoke.

"I tried to tell you, dear," Mikoto told her husband.

Fugaku ignored her. "No, Sasuke. We are being very serious about this."

"There is no way in Hell."

"Why not?" his father's voice raised, "You don't even know the boy!"

"Exactly!" Sasuke yelled back, "Even if it was a _girl _I wouldn't agree to it! No arranged marriage for me. End of story."

"You'd make a beautiful bride," his mother tried.

"I will say this one more time. I. Am. _Not._ A. Girl."

"Yes, that will be the last time you say that. Because from now on, you will pretend that you _are _a girl," Fugaku answered.

"So what if I'm not even picked? Then I'll be stuck pretending to be a girl my whole life?"

"Of course my darling son will be picked," Mikoto answered sympathetically.

"You_ really_ don't know that!" Sasuke tried to suppress his annoyance.

"You'll be picked," Fugaku answered in a sure tone.

"And if I'm not?"

"Oh, you _better _make sure you're picked," the head of the household answered in a mildly threatening tone.

Mikoto rolled her eyes, and grabbed her son's hands, "Don't worry, Sasuke. Everything will be fine. We don't have to even go to the Namikaze household for another two weeks. You and I will have that time to bring out your inner girl!" she smiled, "I've always wanted a daughter you know!"

"Plus, I've already had someone call them, so they can expect us. There _will _be an Uchiha there."

Sasuke gave up.

* * *

"I can't believe you guys are doing this to me," Naurto complained to his parents, Namikaze Minato and Kushina. He was walking back and forth on their pool deck, as they both sat in lawn chairs.

Kushina rolled her eyes, slightly annoyed, "Hey, we gave you a year to go find your own bride. You couldn't, so now we have to take drastic measures! Just be thankful we are still letting you choose which girl you want."

"What if I don't like any of the girls who show up?"

"That's why we gave you a year to find your perfect girl on your own," Minato answered calmly.

"Yeah, what your father said 'ttebane!" Kushina stood and smacked her son on the shoulder.

"Well, sorry I couldn't find anyone 'ttebayo!" Naruto shouted back.

Minato sighed, "You two really are related." Before either could reply, his cell phone started to ring.

"Probably another one of the girls I'm going to be stuck with," Naruto said under his breath.

"Oh really?" his father said into the phone, "I never would have guessed...Oh, no, I don't mean it like that!...Yes, she's a very pretty girl...Now that you mention it, it does make since...Hm?...Well, of course she can come!...Why yes...Yes, we'll meet her in two weeks then...Alright." He snapped his phone shut.

"Who was that?" Kushina asked.

"The Uchiha residence," he answered, "They want their daughter to be considered for Naruto."

"But the Uchihas don't have a daughter," Kushina responded confusedly.

"Apparently they do," he shrugged, "They said that Sasuke, their youngest, was simply raised as a boy, but is actually a girl."

"Weird," Naruto muttered, "Now I know not to pick her. Why would I want some gender confused chick?"

"Don't be rude, Naruto," Kushina sighed, "It's not her fault her family wanted a son instead a daughter. You should treat her like everyone else."

"Plus, it may be nice to have more connections with the Uchiha family," Minato mused.

"But only pick her if she's the one you want," his wife added quickly, "Because the same could go for connections with the Hyuugas or any other family."

"Whatever," her son replied, before jumping into their pool.

* * *

The Next morning, Sasuke picked up a newspaper of the kitchen table. The front headline was just generic news about stuff he didn't care about.

Down the page, he noticed an article that he cared _very much _about.

**Uchiha Family Admit That Their Youngest Son Sasuke is Actually Female**

The phone rang. He answered it.

"Uchiha residence, Sasuke speaking," he answered, trying to keep his voice level.

"Oh! How great of you to answer, Sasuke! This is Konoha Chanel 12 News, and we're wondering if maybe you would like to hold an interview tonight about you-" Sasuke hung up. Well, slammed it, actually. The phone rang again. He pulled the cord out.

"Oh, Sasuke, you're up," his mother walked in with a plastic grocery bag, placing it on a chair.

"So you went and told the whole world that I'm a girl, huh?" Sasuke said evenly, but not without tightened fists.

"That's your father's doing," Mikoto said calmly, not wanting her son to explode, "I actually didn't like the idea of you pretending to be a girl, either, but he convinced me. You got to know, we don't have that many options left."

"All they need to do is post recent pictures of me, showing that I have a male figure, and I'll look like a sissy moron!" he replied through clenched teeth.

"You obviously didn't read all of the article," Mikoto tried to smile, picking up the newspaper which was thrown on the floor, "It explains how we wrapped your body up to hide your curves, and gave you male hormones. That also explains your deeper voice."

"Great, so that makes me a he-she! Why would a guy pick a girl who has testosterone in her?"

Mikoto went and picked up the bag, taking out it's contents. "Don't worry Sasuke," she smiled, "Here is your first dose of female hormones."

"How the Hell did you get them so soon?" Sasuke stepped back.

"Being one of the nation's most influential families gets you a few things."

"Aren't we broke?" Sasuke asked in a dry voice.

"Yes," Mikoto managed to spit out, "But there are a lot of people in our kind country that feel pity for you and donated some."

"Is that even legal?"

"Does it matter?"

Sasuke stepped back more until his back was against the wall. "There is no way that I'm letting any of that crap in me."

"Oh, you will," his mother walked forward, closing in on him. Sasuke could have sworn her tone sounded evil.

* * *

Naruto sat at his computer desk, staring at the image. It was a picture of that Sasuke girl. There weren't many he could find on all of the search engines he looked at, unlike his older brother and parents.

She was attractive, as a boy or as a girl. She had the type of face that could pass for either a more feminine-looking guy that all the girls fall for, or a rather pretty, tomboyish girl that men would admire and respect. That's what he figured she was, a tomboy. The other girls he looked up were much more feminine looking, Hyuuga Hinata, Yamanaka Ino, Haruno Sakura, and several others. Sasuke didn't stand out to him that much, in terms of who he'd like to spend the rest of his life with. She was just...different. Anyway, appearance wasn't everything. He'd need to know each of the girls personally, of course.

Naruto stared at the picture a moment more, before exiting out of the window and turning the computer off. He sighed. He didn't know what to do. What if none of the girls seem right to him? He didn't want to be stuck with someone he couldn't stand. What were the odds that any one of the girls picked out for him would be right?

In all honesty, he didn't know if there was _any _girl out there right for him. He hated to admit it, but the only people he ever found chemistry with were other males. But he couldn't tell his parents that. He had to find a _bride, _not a groom.

"Knock-knock," he heard his mother call from his door. She cracked it open slightly.

"Yeah?" Naruto called, spinning around in his chair. His mother opened the door fully, and started to walk in.

"Hey, hon," she walked over to him, putting one hand on his shoulder, "I'm sorry if it seems like your father and I are forcing you to get married-well, we kind of are, I guess-but you do know it's for your own good, right?"

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Nartuo grumbled.

"I know it may not seem like it," Kushina forced Naruto to share the chair, "But part of me-a lot of me, doesn't want to give my little boy up." Naruto, unable to stay mad at his mom, found himself putting his head on her shoulder, his fingers going through her long red hair. He felt like a little kid, but he didn't care. Soon, he wouldn't be able to do this, anyway. She smiled, "Soon, you'll be playing with some other girl's hair instead of mine."

"No, none of the other girls have pretty or long enough hair," he smiled at her.

"I was referring to your future daughter that you will one day have."

Naruto let go of her and stood up. "A-wait, _what_?"

"Don't worry about that now, Naruto," Kushina laughed, "You have a while before that."

"Good, because if you expect to have a grandchild right away, you are going to be disappointed."

"Well, I was more so alluding to the fact that your wife will be pregnant nine months before it's born, but okay. Just as long as you _do _have one, eventually."

"Whatever," Naruto grumbled.

* * *

"Oh, Sasuke, you look, er, you look-"

"I look like a cross-dresser," Sasuke said dully. He was wearing a purple, beaded spaghetti-strapped top with a padded bra underneath. Even if he had a more female chest, his hips were still male. Also, he was wearing tight jeans cutting off at his knees, also didn't do well for his figure, despite the fact that they were recently waxed, free of hair. Plus, they had him in tight girl's underwear, which, needless to say, was uncomfortable. Well, at least it made him look more feminine in _that _way.

"Isn't that what you are?" the designer-lady's assistant said. Her boss hit her. "A very sexy, attractive one, I mean," she tried again.

"Well," Mikoto studied him, then went to the designer, (who, along with her assistant, had been forced to sign a confidentiality contract,) "I think we're going to need custom clothes. Also, some light wrappings around your hips to give you more curvature. Oh, and as a golden rule, the looser the clothing, the better. His broad shoulders may be very handsome, but not for a girl."

"Hey, please make sure they give me only closed-toe shoes, okay? My feet are too big for any girly shoes," Sasuke gestured to the heels he had kicked across the room a few seconds after trying on.

"Sure thing," the lady said. She had a cheery demeanor about her, but Sasuke could tell that it was fake and forced. The Uchiha family can be rather intimidating after all, especially when they force you to sign a contract to keep a secret this big. Sasuke would have pitied her, had it not been for the fact that he had it even worse off.

"How did you manage to pay for her," he asked Mikoto, under his breath.

"Advertisement, dear," she answered, "All we have to do is wear her clothing in public and _say _that they are by her, and she'll give them to us for free. Your father hasn't actually paid for one of his expensive watches for years."

"I see," Sasuke replied as he was dragged away by designer-lady's assistant into the dressing room.

* * *

"Can't I have people to do this for me?" Naruto groaned.

Kushina smacked him, "No! This is something that you _must _do yourself. Stop being so unromantic 'ttebane!"

"You're mother is right, it is very heartless that you would even _think_ of having someone else pick out the engagement ring."

"But I don't know anything about jewelry!" Naruto stared at the row of diamond rings underneath the glass.

"Which is why I am here to help you!" Kushina smiled.

"Well, I have to admit," Minato said uncomfortably, "I gave your mother my grandmother's ring, so I really have no experience, either. So, I'll be back later."

"Hey, why can't I use an old relative's ring?"

"Your father gave me his grandmother's ring to be _romantic._ You want to use a relative's ring to be _lazy._ Therefore, you will pick out a new ring."

Naruto glanced at the rings for a moment. "That one," he called, pointing to a heart-shaped one with a silver band, in the middle.

"You just picked that one at random," his mother scoffed.

"No I didn't," Naruto frowned, "I'm suppose to give the girl my heart, right? So, I'll literally give her a heart. Plus, it's diamond, which means that she won't be able to break it. Oh, and I like the silver band better, because, well, silver seems more peaceful, serene. Unlike gold, which seems more wild, more in your face. That's what I want my love to be like, like silver. Gold just seems too much like lust to me, which I don't want."

Kushina smiled, "Even if you are just saying that so that we can get through this faster, which you probably are, I think that that is very romantic!"

"Would you like to see it up close?" the jeweler asked.

"Er, no than-"

"Yes, he would!" she elbowed her son. The jeweler smiled as he unlocked the display and pulled out the ring, polished it off a bit, and held it up in the light, before letting Naruto take it.

"Oh, Naruto, it's beautiful!" Kushina gasped.

"Yeah, I guess it kind of is."

"Just like your grandchildren will be," Kushina hinted.

"Shut up."

* * *

Sasuke was now wearing a loose, oversize light blue t-shirt. It made his fake chest and hips look more natural, and covered part of his legs, drawing less attention to them. His jeans were slightly more baggy, and looked less masculine on him. He had a pair of high-top sneakers on, covering his manly feet. His hair was left the same, due to the assistant insisting that he had perfect hair, and it would be a crime to even touch it, but had several matching hair clips on each side. He had some simple make-up on his face, foundation, blush, eyeliner, a bit of eyeshadow, and some clear lip gloss.

He really did look like a girl. Not a girly-girl, per se, more of a bold, I-am-who-I-am, I-don't-belong-to-any-stereotype, kind of girl. A rather pretty one, at that.

"Oh, it's like I actually have a daughter now," Mikoto gasped.

"Sure," Sasuke replied, tiredly, in his girl voice. Making it work was the trick. He had to make it sound natural, not forced. Plus, it had to somehow fit him. He settled with a tone that was only a pitch or so higher than natural, which still sounded kind of boyish, but could pass for a deep, tomboyish girl voice. Plus, it was known that he was given male hormones, so it's not like anyone would hold it against him. He just needed to not make his masculinity obvious.

"You look beautiful," his mother almost appeared to be glowing.

"I'm not going to pretend that this isn't weird."

"I'm sorry, honey, I know it is, but you are doing so much for our family right now!"

"I can't even imagine how crazy you are going to be at the wedding."

"Oh, so you are being more optimistic about it?" Mikoto beamed.

"Well, look at me," Sasuke gesured to himself, "How can I let myself think that this is for nothing? I've had my eyebrows, legs, even my armpits waxed! I've had my ears pierced! I'm wearing a God damn bra! You have even forced me to take some female hormones! What more can I do to lose my masculinity?"

"You're nails!" Mikoto exclaimed, seeming to have been oblivious to Sasuke's point, "They look horrible! Look at those hang nails!"

Sasuke just stared at his mother. "Fine, do whatever. But it has to be clear polish. I have _some _limits."

"Well, it better not be about _acting _ladylike. I'm having this one nice lady who does cotillions give you a few tips."

"That's not funny."

"I'm serious. Plus, I bet the other, _real _girls, are having some instruction as well."

"I really don't know what to say."

"Be grateful that we've managed to scrape a few ryo for her!"

"Is our family really that desperate?"

"I'm afraid so."

* * *

_So that's the end of chapter 1..._

_Sorry, I really have nothing else to add. I would have added more to the chapter, but I didn't feel like it. But chapter 2 should come soon.  
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_Review please? Reviews make me very happy! Even if the reviews are negative, I appreciate them! Well, non-flame, constructive criticism reviews, you know?  
_


	2. Chapter 2

_Hello again! Here we go with chapter 2! Hope you enjoy!_

_Oh, and once agian, this is AU, however they live in the Fire Nation and so on. The Uchihas, in this story, actually live outside of Konoha a bit. But my point is, I know I may use terms like "Japanese" or "England" or whatever, but that is just for simplicity in describing things, not that they actually live in Japan or anything?__ I guess you could say for the sake of the story, the Fire Nation is this world's equivalent of Japan. England can exist in this story, if you want it to, but it doesn't really matter. Understand at all?_

_Also, please note that although Itachi left the family, and Sasuke is still really mad about it, he doesn't want to kill him_ _like he did in canon. __  
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_Disclaimer: I still do not own Naruto.  
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* * *

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A week had passed since Sasuke's parents had decided that he should become a bride. He was sitting at a tea party-style table set up in the family ballroom, which had always been used to hold his mother's big charity parties she always held. He felt like an idiot, sitting there on a white chair with flowers carved on the back, with a floral yellow and pink cushion, matching the table cloth that was neatly placed over the dainty, three-legged table. There were two other chairs around the small table, one that his mother was sitting in, and another that his instructor would be sitting at once she arrived. Each chair had it's own little china plate, cup, and silverware, all with little pink roses painted on them. In the center there was a matching teapot, along with the generic cream, sugar, and plate of cookies.

What confused Sasuke the most was how western it all was. He would have expected a more traditional style setting, kimonos and all. But apparently, 'it's the 21st century now' and this was what was 'in'. Somehow, he didn't understand how something that seemed to come out of old fashioned Victorian England could ever be considered 'present day', but he wasn't about to argue. Honestly, he didn't think that turning him into a geisha would have been much better.

Still, the setting was very cute, by any national standard. It would be a little girl's dream come true. However, for Sasuke, it was more of a nightmare. The scariest part for him would have to be how perfectly he matched with the setting. He was wearing a woven lavender shawl over a knee-length dress, which was a pain to sit in, as he kept having to remind himself to sit with his legs together. The matching head band felt too small and annoyingly poked the sides of his head, but he managed to resist the urge to fool with it. The lip gloss on his lips irritated him, especially from how his napkin seemed to glare evilly at him, not letting him wipe it off. Sasuke reached for a cookie, hoping that by eating that, some of the stupid gloss would disappear.

"Sasuke, not until she's here!" his mother scolded, smacking his hand. He didn't care what she said at this point, and simply grabbed the cookie and took a small bite.

"It's her fault for being this late anyway," Sasuke grumbled after he swallowed. She was twenty minutes late, meaning that this torture would last twenty minutes longer than it could have. To him, that was unforgivable.

"Stop being so inconsiderate," Mikoto glared at him, "Nakamura-sensei is a very busy woman, and you should feel grateful that she managed to squeeze some time in to work with you! It would have been nicer if she had been able to have met with you on an earlier date, but she had to cancel a few things to come even now." Sasuke muttered something under his breath he took another small bite from the cookie. "Ah, speak of the devil!" his mother exclaimed, as some lady walked in the room, accompanied by Sasuke's father.

"Why _hello_ Mikoto-san! I'm _so _sorry for being late, but you know how life is," she exclaimed in an over-dramatized, yet calm voice. Fugaku seemed flustered as she left him behind and went up towards the two at the table. "Why, this must be the beautiful Sasuke-chan I've heard so much about!"

"Y-yeah," Sasuke managed to spit out in his female voice, as he sat back down in his chair. He studied the woman for a moment. Everything about her was western, without a drop of traditional style in her, except, of course, for her facial features. She appeared to be in her mid-sixties, sporting a pink button-down dress, white gloves, and a big sunhat. Her make up was obviously done herself, as no cosmologist would put that much on anyone. He also noticed a few hints of facial surgery to take away some unwanted wrinkles. Overall, she scared the life out of him. He felt himself sinking lower and lower, towards the ground.

"Don't stutter, girl, and sit up straight! I can already tell that you are a sloucher. It makes you look like a careless boy!" she grabbed his shoulders from behind, pulling them towards her, which forced his back to be as straight as a board. He could have sworn he felt it crack a bit. She let go of him, and he tried his best to maintain that uncomfortable position. She walked around the table, so that she was looking straight at his face. "What is with that expression? You look constipated! Smile, in a kind way. I swear, you seem so uptight! You're going to have gray hair before you're twenty! Oh, and put your napkin on your lap, that is very rude! No, don't move so suddenly! Reach for it _gracefully_. Don't just drop it on your lap, _place _it there! My, my, you're a tricky one. I have a feeling that I'm going to have to go way overtime before I'm finished with you!"

The last of Sasuke's manly pride died that day.

* * *

Naruto sat alone at the long, twenty-chaired, dining room table. This was the table where the luncheon would take place in about a week and a half. His parents opted for the to go out somewhere, but for the sake of privacy, they decided to stay on their own property for the occasion. This was the table his future wife would be sitting at. There were eight girls who would would be attending, along with one parent each. Many, many more families applied of course, but those were the ones his parents approved of already. With himself and his two parents, there would be one seat left open. That worked perfectly, so that Naruto could sit at one end, while the other end could be left open, so that one girl couldn't get an advantage of facing him the whole time. Not that it really mattered to him. He didn't understand why so many girls would want to be practically sold into a possible arraigned marriage, and it all the more made him against the whole ordeal. How could he respect a girl who would want to have a loveless marriage just for money?

In front of him, was a file of all the girls that were coming. He fingered through each of the profiles. On it was their name with a picture just below, generally much better quality than those he found online, along with the generic 'about me' segment. They all seemed rather boring and unoriginal, and he had been able to depict what each girl's personality was like with just those simple words. Sakura seemed like she would be moody and obsessive, Ino seemed to be stereotypical spoiled brat, Hinata seemed to be extremely shy and without any sign of a backbone, Tenten seemed to be very headstrong and a big feminist, and the rest faded from his memory the second he read them. He picked up the one he had been saving for last, Uchiha Sasuke's. He didn't exactly know _why _he wanted to save her's for last, to go over it with the most care possibly, but there was just something about that girl that fascinated him, just by looking at her picture online. At first he told himself it was because she was raised as a boy, but he soon realized that wasn't it at all. Then he decided that it was because she was the best looking of the bunch, but he knew he wasn't that type of guy to judge merely appearance, so he dismissed that theory too.

She was just so..._interesting_. Unlike the other girls' essays about themselves, which were written selfishly, saying what their best qualities are, (true or not,) and why they should be picked, Sasuke's seemed more honest. She didn't sound like she was trying to impress anyone. The question was to write about yourself in detail, and she did. The question didn't ask _why _she should be picked, so she didn't even discuss the matter. She was brief, explaining that she isn't one for romance or overwhelming emotion, she isn't the type of girl who can sit around and just do housework, and is often described as uncaring and indifferent, and is known to have a bit of a superiority complex. Definitely not the best qualities Naruto would want for a wife, but at least he was saying it like it is. He could bet anything that a lot of the other girls had equal if not worse qualities that they failed to share. But still, despite his automatic respect for her, was she really his type? He knew that there was a big difference between interest and love. Not that he'd probably even fall in love with any of the girls, but he still didn't want to be tricked into believing that he actually had a deep since of caring for someone when he really didn't.

Naruto sighed. He didn't understand why such a pretty, no-nonsense girl would stoop so low as to offer her hand in marriage to someone she didn't even know or care about. Come to think of it, it _was _rather odd how she came out as a female just as soon as she was able to apply for such a thing. Then, maybe it wasn't for herself at all. It was common knowledge that the Uchiha Industries weren't doing so well this year, so maybe she did it selflessly in order to help save her family. Although, he may not respect girls marring for money, he _could _respect that. But then, that too didn't mean that she would be his perfect match.

Namikaze Naruto was very confused.

* * *

That night, Itachi called, wishing to speak to his younger _sister. _Sasuke was tired, being ladylike was way more work than he could have every thought. As soon as it was over, he climbed up to his room, kicked off his shoes, and threw himself on his bed, and took a nap. The last thing he wanted to was to talk to his estranged brother, but due to whatever reason, maybe from him turning into a masochist, he slowly sat on the side of his bed, took the phone from his housekeeper, and answered it.

"Hi Mr. I'm-Going-To-Abandon-The-Family-Just-When-I'm-Needed-The-Most," Sasuke practically hissed into the phone. He used to be very close to his brother, but after he up and left, he had grown a sense of resentment towards him.

"Well, hello, _Miss _I'm-Going-To-Lie-To-The-Whole-World-About-My-Gender-To-Play-With-Some-Poor-Boy's-Heart-And-Get-Mommy-And-Daddy-A-Few-Ryo," Itachi answered in a very sarcastically polite voice.

"Well, I wouldn't need to do all this shit if you never left!" Sasuke realized that he was now standing. He took a breath, and sat back down on the bed. The housekeeper, a young lady who had to have been in her early twenties, stood sheepishly at the door, trying to find an opportunity to leave. Sasuke through his free hand out, a little too threateningly, signaling that she could leave. She quickly bolted away, as if she was was in a horror movie. She might as well have been. _Everyone _who worked in the Uchiha household knew that he could be very scary when mad.

"Do you _honestly_ think me staying and preparing myself to take control of Uchiha Industries would have made that drastic of a difference? Wouldn't the change of leadership to someone much less experienced have more of a _negative _effect, if anything?" Itachi answered apathetically, "I mean, I love you more than anyone, Sasuke, but you are very naive. About a lot of things, actually."

"Oh really now?" Sasuke had the phone tighter and much closer to his face than necessary.

"Honestly, I don't know what the rest of our family has been smoking recently. All they need is for one wrong medical record, one naked baby picture, _something_, and you'll be caught. Do you know how easy it would be to do?"

Sasuke knew very well. But it wasn't like he had much choice in the matter anymore. His brother was singing to the choir, but he wasn't going to _tell _him that! He sighed, "Father has already taken care of all the medical records. As for baby pictures, you should remember that our parents made sure I was away from public eye for the first year or so after I was born. Plus, it's not like they can just rummage around our own personal collection of pictures."

"Sasuke, this isn't like you are some boy down the street. You are the son of one of the nation's biggest known families. I'm surprised that the media and the population aren't questioning it more than they already are. They are going to need proof eventually."

"Once I'm engaged to the Namikaze heir, no one will!" Sasuke said in a proud voice. Through it all, he all but knew now that he was going to be chosen. There was no way that this was all for nothing. From saying it out loud, with actual confidence, became more and more optimistic about it all. Everything would be okay, some how.

"Fine, but I'm getting an invitation to the wedding," Itachi said dryly, not even trying to argue anymore. Sasuke simply hung up on him.

"Bastard," he mumbled as he tossed the phone on his bed. He let himself fall back on it, staring at the ceiling. He started to close his eyes, but the phone rang again. "What now?" he answered, already knowing that it would be his brother.

"I wish to chat with our dearest parents," Itachi answered, sounding mildly amused.

"Call their cells," he groaned, "I'm not getting up and getting them for you.

"Fine, I will," his brother answered right before Sasuke turned off the phone again.

* * *

They days passed all too quickly for both Naruto and Sasuke. Before they new it, the big day was only two days away.

"Konoha is about a six hour drive away," Fugaku told his family, "So we should drive out this evening." They still never got rid of their chauffeur and limo, so they would still be able to arrive in style. Within a few hours, the three Uchihas packed their things, said goodbye to the rest of the family, and went on their way.

Before they left, Sasuke couldn't help but look back. He knew that, if chosen, he would never again live in that grand mantion. The place that he lived his whole life would simply be his parent's house, and his old room would no longer be his own. He would no longer be Uchiha Sasuke. He would be of the Namikaze family.

Then he remembered. No, he wouldn't be of the Namikaze family. Not really. He was male, so he wouldn't actually be able to stay in the marriage. His family may even find themselves needing to escape, which would cause him never to even see his entire country again. He sighed. Part of him would rather just live a more humble life, in a much smaller house. But what was he to say? It was already too late.

He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and got in the limo. He wouldn't allow himself to look back again, as they drove away.

* * *

The next morning, Naruto sat staring out his bedroom window, looking down at their front yard. The families would all be driving in later, and he was convinced that he had to see them arrive. They weren't expected quite yet, but he sat their impatiently, just in case one came early.

"Are you ready for them to arrive, hon?" his mother asked soothingly, coming up from behind him.

"No," he answered honestly, not looking back at her.

Kushina laughed. "Well, if you said that you were, I wouldn't believe that it was really you," she said as she sat right beside him. He still didn't look up at her. She sighed, "Marriage. It isn't all that bad. Your father and I have done quite alright together."

"Yes, but you two found each other on your own. You two really love each other."

"That's true," she let pass, "But you never know. Maybe this is fate. Maybe this is where you were destined to meet the perfect person for you."

"I don't believe in fate," Naruto sounded aggravated.

"Well, even so," she answered as she put her arm around him, "You don't know what is going to happen. Don't write off the chance, anyway."

Naruto looked up at his mother. She was smiling at him. He forced himself to smile too.

"Oh, look," Kushina signaled out the window, "Someone is here!" A limo was pulling up to the front of the house. She pulled on his arm, trying to make him move, "Come on, let's go great them!" Naruto wanted to see who it was first, but his mom wasn't letting go. She could be really strong when she wanted to be.

* * *

The Hyuugas were the first to arrive. Hyuuga Hinata was a very pretty girl, even more so in person. She had long blueish hair, and a perfect figure. She seemed really quiet and shy, just as Naruto predicted. What was more, she seemed to really genuinely care for him. He decided that she should most definitely go on his list of girls to really consider.

The Harunos came next. Haruno Sakura also was very pretty, in his opinion. She had pretty green eyes, and soft pink hair pulled back with a headband, with a slender figure. But her personality seemed kind of harsh and maybe not the easiest for him to live with. He kept her on his mind, though.

Yamanaka Ino was easily the prettiest, but he could automatically tell that she wasn't his type. The other girls came by, but none of them seemed quite right, either, and found himself instantly writing them off. So it seemed to all come down to Hinata and Sakura. Well, unless the Uchiha girl, the only one who hadn't arrived, proved to be something really special. They had stayed in a hotel on the other side of town, farther away from their house than anticipated, as Konoha was a considerably large city with a lot of traffic at any time of day, and were running late. It irritated him slightly, but he tried to stay neutral about the girl until he actually met her.

Finally, the last limo rolled up their entryway. The chauffeur got out and walked around, opening the door, letting the passengers out. Naruto stretched his neck to see inside off, but he could only see her parents walk out. He sucked in his breath, due to anticipation. Finally, after the older Uchihas got out of the way, out came Sasuke. She took the chauffeur's hand, allowing him to help her out, and slowly got out. She stood up, stretching for a moment, before stepping out of the way, for the door to be closed behind her. She looked around at the house, until she finally noticed him. Their eyes locked.

* * *

_There you go, everyone. A shorter chapter than the previous one, but as I have been super busy lately, I'm fortunate that I have been able to write this much, even._

_Reviews make me very happy! I am more willing to write more to something when I hear that people like it, you know!  
_


	3. Chapter 3

_First, I must say that I've been really busy lately and have had a lot of work to do, so I haven't exactly been given much time to write. So sorry for not writing so much lately! T-T Hopefully now I can get back and write more again. *crosses fingers*  
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_As a warning, I must say that this chapter isn't as...humorous as the prior ones may have been. But then, this is where Sasuke and Naruto meet, so I _have _to make__ it serious, to a point, right? Otherwise I'd get complaints for _that_, right? Right? Sigh. Well, I really hope you enjoy the chapter, regardless! I just want to make my readers happy! That's the only reason I write, you should know ^-^__  
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_Disclaimer: Naruto and Naruto Shippuden belong to Masashi Kishimoto and TV Tokyo...I am obviously neither. Therefore, one can conclude that I do not own Naruto. Get it?  
_

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* * *

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Sasuke froze. It was as if he was hit with a freeze-ray. He couldn't seem to move, he could hardly breathe, and his heart seemed to be beating much faster_. _Why was he like this? He couldn't tell. His brain felt numb, so he couldn't really comprehend anything. What is this feeling? When did it start? He forced himself to take a breath. He then realized that he was looking directly into a pair of icy blue eyes. Well, they were icy _colored, _but they seemed really warm at the same time. They looked playful, yet serious, yet...something he couldn't tell. They gaze was sent right back into his own eyes. No, it didn't seem that way. His gaze was too strong for that. Maybe he had turned totally invisible, and he was looking beyond him, far into the distance beyond him.

It took him a few seconds before he seemed to notice the person of whom the eyes belonged to. They came from the face of a very attractive young man with spiky blond hair with three whisker-like markings on each cheek. For some reason, his face seemed very awed, like he was seeing something amazing. It only took Sasuke a moment to recognize that he was Naruto. It took him a moment longer to realize that he was the reason he was frozen the way he was. After that, he noticed that Naruto seemed to be frozen the same way he was. He forced himself to quickly look away, his face growing hot. Was he blushing? No, that can't be. Uchiha Sasuke _does not _blush! He tightened his hands into fists.

"Greetings everyone," another older man said, who had a striking resemblance to Naruto. He was able to realize instantly that it was Namikaze Minato, from seeing him on TV and other media. He went to greet both of his parents before turning to smile at him. He felt his face grew hot again. He looked down. "Hello," he managed to tell the ground.

"Why hello, boy!" a female voice called. He realized that there was suddenly an arm around him, bright red hair suddenly blowing in his face. "I'm that handsome boy's mother, ya know. I know he's so irresistible and you totally want to end up with him, right?"

"M-Mom," he heard Naruto stutter. Sasuke lifted his head up so that he could look at him. He was blushing.

"Well, say hello to each other!" Kushina took her arm off from around him and pushed him up forward towards her son. Sasuke tried to resist, but he soon found himself a few feet away from him.

"Uh, well, hello Sasuke-chan," he sputtered. He said that, looking right into his eyes again, but this time he was the one to look away. "Er, you don't mind me calling you that, do you?" he asked shooting his head back up.

Truthfully, he _did _mind. He was an adult man, so being called '-chan' _obviously_ irritated him. Of course, being that he was trying to butter up to the guy he simply replied, "No, er, it's alright."

"Oh, uh, okay._ Sasuke-chan_. I actually really like that name for a girl," he laughed nervously. Sasuke didn't know how to reply. He had a feeling that he was going to be called that a lot today. But for some reason, being called that by _him _didn't seem to irritate him so much. He wondered why.

"So, um, what do you want me to call you?" Sasuke asked awkwardly. Yes, that was a good word for how this conversation felt to him. Awkward.

"I, uh...Just Naruto is fine," he answered quietly, "If _you_ are fine with that, I mean."

"Er, yeah...I guess." At this point, they were both staring at the ground. Silence.

Mikoto, apparently sensing the tension, suddenly clapped his hands and called, "Well, let's get a move on into the dining hall. The other girls are waiting. Oh, and it would appear that both Mr. and Mrs. Uchiha are going to attend? Great, that'll work, as we have exactly one open seat. Naruto, Sasuke-san, let's get a move on now."

The Namikaze mansion was about the same cost and quality as the Uchiha's, if not more, but very different architecturally. It was smaller, a minor drawback due to it being located inside Konoha's city limits. It was much more open than his own. Much more..._lively, _than the Uchiha's rather old and dark Victorian style place. This place was obviously built not too long ago, seeing how blatantly modern it was. It was so colorful, so friendly, so much so, it seemed to almost smother him with it's brightness. He suddenly felt homesick.

"Are you alright, Sasuke-chan?" Naruto whispered to him in his right ear. He jumped, not even aware that he was standing right next to him. He felt his face grow hot again.

"Yes, I'm fine, thanks," Sasuke said politely, his face facing forward, walking in a steady pace behind the older couples, refusing to look at him.

"It wouldn't seem that way," Naruto answered him, sounding concerned.

Sasuke sighed. He could already tell that this boy was going to be annoying, and not the type to just let things go. "It's nothing. I'm perfectly fine. This is just...a lot."

"I know," Naruto quickly grabbed his hand, "It's a lot for me too, you know. But everything will be okay." Sasuke stood still, unable to move. He _knew _that he was blushing. It wasn't even worth lying to himself anymore, he _knew _that his face was probably as red as Naruto's mother's hair. Seeing that, Naruto quickly dropped his hand. With that, they both continued walking, Sasuke still keeping his neck locked forward. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that," Naruto said quietly, almost sounding sad.

"It's fine," Sasuke said in an almost inaudible voice. He looked down at his feet as they walked forward across the shiny tiled floors.

* * *

Naruto took a bite of the beef off his plate. It was no Ichiraku Ramen to him, but it was alright. He kept eating and eating, trying to let the taste of the different foods served to him occupy his thoughts, distracting him. He knew he was being rude. A lot of the girls were trying to start a conversation with him, but he paid them no mind. He pretended to listen to them as they talked about themselves as they gave reasons as to why they'd be good together. They all spoke very highly of themselves, saying how perfect they were. How they'd make great housewives. What was even worse was their parents. They all seemed to be convinced that their 'precious daughters' were the best the world had to give, and that it would be a no-brainer that Naruto would chose them. They were all so annoying, flapping their jaws going on and on and on, every single one of them.

No, not all of them. All but two. Sasuke sat silently, staring at his plate, paying him no mind, while Hinata-chan, who sat right across from her, sat staring at him shyly, as if she was unable to speak. It was just as well. He had already made up his mind. It didn't matter that he was suppose to wait a week to determine who to chose. He didn't give a damn about how he was suppose to spend a little bit of time with each girl, getting to know each of them personally. He never believed in love at first sight, but the moment he saw her, he realized that she was something. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that she was very much his type. Sure, there were a lot of girls there, but one had struck him specifically.

He had quickly crossed Sakura off of his list. Sure she was pretty, and he could see himself becoming friends with her, maybe, but he just couldn't picture himself caring about her on a romantic level. She was too harsh, too violent, and she seemed like the fangirly type, someone who he couldn't exactly trust to stay totally true. What was more, she just didn't seem to really care about him in the right way, either. Plus, she was talking about herself more than almost anyone.

He needed a more modest and humble girl. He needed the type that would stay loyal to him. He needed someone who he could care about, and be cared for in return. He needed a girl that he knew that he could potentially fall in love with.

He looked at Sasuke once more. Yes, he had instantly fallen for her. Maybe it _was_ love at first sight. Maybe he _did _love her already. Sasuke, after a few moments of being stared at, looked up at him. Unemotionally. She had not even the slightest bit of interest in her eyes. In fact, she seemed to almost have a dead look on her face. Yes, Naruto could easily tell that she was all but dead inside. It was almost a given that she had been forced to come. He knew that she didn't _want _to get married. For a girl like her, who had been forced to live life as a male her whole life, becoming a bride to someone she didn't even know would be way too much for her to handle. Their eyes met again. She had deep black eyes that seemed to hold a lot of dark emotion. They were nice eyes, not super pretty or detailed unlike some of the other girls', but to Naruto, they were the most gorgeous eyes he'd ever seen. They were also among the saddest.

He knew right then that he loved her. Well, it wasn't as if he loved her in the sense that he wanted to marry her right away or anything. Not yet. But he could tell that, in time, he would. But for now, it was more of the type of love that could be compared to when one sees their newborn child for the first time. They don't know the child personally or anything, yet there is something about them that they instantly adore. Just a little something that is felt, something that tells you that you will always care for that person no matter what. Not that he thought of Sasuke as his daughter or anything, but more like he had just met his soul mate.

But at the same time, he assumed that Sasuke didn't feel the same way. Why else would she stare so blankly? There was no way that marrying her would bring her happiness. It was an unrequited love. But she was the one he wanted. He wanted to pick her. He didn't want her to end up with some other man. He wanted to see her smile.

* * *

Sasuke forked at his food. He had no appetite. Thoughts swirled around in his head. He tried to get his bearings on everything that was happening.

First of all, he was a guy. Naruto was a guy. It was true that he'd never really had a crush on anyone, but he had always considered himself straight. He didn't understand what these weird feelings were, but he was sure that they _couldn't _be ones of love. Guys just don't fall in love with guys, right? Sure, there were a lot of people out there who fought to allow same-sex marriage, but he never really thought about it. He just always assumed that he would marry a woman. Truthfully, he never even considered falling in love with _anyone. _Love never sparked any interest in his mind. Falling in love with another man was one of the last things he ever considered.

Secondly, this would be an _arranged _marriage. So really, love didn't really play any part anyway. His whole life, he had planned on having a loveless, arraigned marriage anyway. The idea never really appealed or displeased him. He honestly never cared at all. But now, the idea of love sparked in the back of his mind. The only person he really, truly loved was his older brother, Itachi, who had betrayed the family. Because of love, his brother's betrayal hit him much harder. It would have been much easier if he never cared about him in the first place. Yes, it would be better if he thought nothing about Naruto, good or bad. But a tiny voice in the back of his mind told him that it wouldn't be all that possible.

Then of course, he had to be realistic. He was secretly male. Being that he was looking for a _bride,_ the odds of Naruto wanting to maintain a marriage to someone who was not female was slim to none. The marriage wouldn't last, anyway. This was another reason especially why he should stay away from falling for him.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that he was being stared at. He looked up. It was him. He looked into his eyes again. They seemed to be full of interest, studying every move he made. He looked back blankly. It wasn't that he didn't care or was trying to be stiff and cold to him, he simply didn't know how to respond. Naruto's gaze grew more and more intense before he finally broke away. Sasuke, however, continued to watch him.

After about a minute or so, Naruto stood up. The chatter around the table grew silent as they waited for him to speak. He cleared his throat nervously, unintentionally looking directly at Sasuke. "Well. I know I'm not suppose to make a decision or anything yet. But well, you see, I've already decided who I want. I-" He suddenly stopped mid-sentence. He passionately looked Sasuke right in the face for a few seconds. Then he looked around the table. Then he looked back at him. Sasuke merely blinked. He knew what was coming.

"There is one girl I want to...well, marry. If she'll have me, that is. I mean, I know we don't even really know each other or anything, but..." Sasuke sunk low in his chair, no longer even caring if he was being ladylike or not. Naruto continued to stare at him.

"I know I'm being so unromantic, standing at this end of the table, and I'm not going to get on one knee...But I must ask-"

Sasuke closed his eyes.

"Will you marry me-"

He squeezed his eyes even tighter together.

"-Hyuuga Hinata?"

Sasuke opened his eyes. "It's just as well," he said under his breath, so that no one else could hear, "Hinata and Naruto could actually have a real future together. This foolish plan wouldn't have worked anyway."

It didn't matter. He didn't care. He heard some of the other girls and families mumble complaints. He could hear at least one girl crying. It was alright. Hinata and Naruto could have happiness together. He should be _relieved._

Hinata, who had turned a bright pink color answered in her sweet, dainty, soft-spoken voice, "Y-yes."

Sasuke felt himself get up and walked to some other room, as if his body was moving on its own. Not knowing this house, he didn't know where he was going. No one really objected to his leaving, they were more all over the 'engagement'. Quite possibly, no one even noticed. He found himself in some sitting room. It wasn't nearly as bright as the rest of the house, which seemed fitting somehow.

"I don't care that Hinata and Naruto are getting married," Sasuke told himself. He realized that he was still speaking in his girly voice. Over the past week or so, he had gotten use to speaking that way. "Okay, fine, I _am _irritated on how I had to go through all this for nothing. I _am _irritated that I lost to a Hyuuga. But, really, isn't it better that I get out of this situation _now_? Yeah, it's a good thing. I don't care about...him."

He told himself this. Part of him wanted to believe it. But if that was _really _the case, then why did his heart feel so hard, so heavy? If he didn't care, then why did he feel a single tear roll down his face?

* * *

It was _because _Naruto cared about Sasuke that he picked Hinata. Because he cared about her, he would let her live her own life. He wouldn't force her into some marriage.

He could tell that Hinata would be a good pick. If it weren't for Sasuke, he would have chosen her anyway. She seemed very nice and quiet. He could picture her as a very kind housewife...A good mother even, as his own mom would say. It was good for him to ask her suddenly, too, before he would find himself caring even more for Sasuke, and came to a point where he _couldn't _ask Hinata. Yes, she was the best pick.

But if she was the right choice, then why did it feel so wrong when he slipped the engagement ring on her finger? Why did he find himself scanning the room for Sasuke, who had somehow slipped from the room? Why, instead of feeling the joy of hearing a girl say 'yes' did he feel almost depressed? Why did he, deep down, wish for her to reject him? He felt sick to his stomach as he hugged her.

* * *

Naruto and Hinata sat in the little tea room. No matter how awkward Naruto thought the conversation with Sasuke was, this totally topped it. The girl wouldn't say two words to him!

"So Hinata," Naruto fake smiled, "I hope you like the ring."

"Yes," she mumbled.

"You are a really pretty girl you know!"

"Thank-you."

"So...what are your interests?" She shrugged. Naruto sighed, "Have you ever had any boyfriends? Being your fiancee, I must ask, you know." Hinata didn't answer. She just cried softly.

"Wait, you do _want _to get married, correct?" Naruto asked.

"Y-yes," she replied. A tear rolled down her cheek.

"Well, have you had any boyfriends or not?" he sounded a bit too aggressive and demanding, but in his defense, she was starting to get under his skin.

"Y-y-yes," she buried her face in her hands.

"I see," he answered, not knowing what to say, "Well, I never have. Not really. But you are a really pretty girl, so I'm not surprised."

"Th-thank-you," she replied, her voice sounding muffled from beneath her hands. Naruto groaned. Were 'yes' and 'thank-you' the only things she knew how to say? He knew that this would be a good chance for him to be the big romantic guy and go over and sit by her, one arm around her shoulder, and ask her what was wrong. Then he could tell her that everything was alright and that he'd be there for her. Something stopped him.

"So tell me. What was his name? When did you break up? Do I have to go beat him up for you?" He was aiming for a sympathetic tone, but he probably sounded more aggravated than anything.

"K-kiba. Inuzuka Kiba. H-he was the only one."

"What happened," Naruto asked. She actually gave him more than one sentence, so he was going to keep pressing on.

"N-nothing happened," she sobbed quietly.

"Then why did you break up?" Naruto questioned.

"W-we didn't. My p-parents called it off t-t-two weeks ago. They sa-said that h-he wasn't of a g-good enough f-family. Th-they said th-that I would ha-have to try to m-marry y-you instead. W-w-we had no cho-choice. We l-loved each other. We were going to get m-ma-married."

"Ah," Naruto said. He was at a loss for words.

"I-it's not your fault," she wiped her wet hands on her skirt, "I-I have to move o-on now. I'm going to be a good wife for you. I pr-promise. Just forget it."

Naruto got up and sat next to her. "In that case, go. I'll speak to your parents and give Kiba a good word if you need it. Go become Inuzuka Hinata." He slid the ring off her finger.

Hinata gasped, "B-but, Naruto-kun! I thou-though that-"

"No, it's fine. Really, it's not worth making your life miserable. I thought I picked you, not for my own happiness, but for yours. But it turns out, us getting married would cause us _both _to be miserable. Not that you would make a bad wife or anything. You just aren't meant to be _my _wife, you know? Now go!" He stuck the ring back in his pants pocket, and grabbed her arm, pulling her along.

"Th-thank you, Naruto-kun. I really d-do care about you. I wish you would have been my brother or something!"

Naruto dragged her along across the house, "Do you think that maybe I'll be able to catch my girl? She may have left already. She may not even care about me, but it's better than being in a relationship where _neither _person cares or at least wants to attempt to make the relationship work, right?"

"Y-you mean Sasuke-chan?" Hinata asked.

"Yeah, her. The disinterested one," Naruto laughed darkly. They reached the front of the house. Hinata's father, the Uchihas, and his own parents stood there. They all seemed to be arguing.

"Ah, here is the lovely couple now," the Hyuuga called out in an unnecessarily loud voice, "Don't they look so great together..._Fugaku_? Hey, I'd like to see the ring on my beautiful daughter's finger. Did she take it off?" The Uchiha male just let out a "Hmph!"

"About that," Naruto told them, "We've decided to call off the engagement." He turned and faced two Uchihas as he continued, "Mr. and Mrs. Uchiha, if you wouldn't mind..." He took a deep breath.

"I'd like to ask for your daughter's hand in marriage."

**tbc**

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_So, another chapter finished. I probably spent longer on this chapter than any other in any of my stories, so I hope you like it! It was hard for me to determine where to cut off and what to have happen. Not that any of you really care._

_I should update with another chapter pretty soon...It depends on how life goes. Sigh. Life. It really screws with your time, doesn't it? But yeah, the next chapter should be put out within a week._

_Review please? Pretty please with ramen on top? It only takes a moment, but it makes me happy for a long time! Even if you don't particurally like the story, you can give some _constructive _criticism!_

_Edit__: Typos and mistakes should be fixed! If not, feel free to tell me!  
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	4. Chapter 4

_Yay! I wasn't busy this week, which meant more writing time! So here we go with Chapter 4..._

_Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto and TV Tokyo. I own nothing._

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It appeared to Sasuke that he was going to be a bride after all. Well, at least he had a very expensive looking heart-shaped diamond ring on his left hand. He lifted in hand up towards the light and observed it. It fit his finger perfectly, almost as if it was custom made. He thought that it seemed awkward on his male hand, but he couldn't deny that it was a very high quality ring that most girls would go nuts over receiving. He moved his hand slightly, watching it sparkle from the reflected light.

He didn't really understand _how_ this ring managed to transfer from Hinata's to his own. He had simply been standing in some dimly lit room feeling some unexplained emotions that were giving him a headache, when all of a sudden he heard a housekeeper yell, "Here she is!" He had looked up to see who it was, when all of a sudden Naruto showed up.

"What are you doing here by yourself, Sasuke-chan?" Naruto asked calmly as he walked up close to him. Sasuke instinctively moved back, but was already near the corner of the room, so the other boy quickly came on to him.

"I-I just wanted to see the house," he answered in an overly defensive tone. Naruto reached one hand up and slid one finger right beneath his eye, wiping the tears that had fallen there.

"You were crying," Naruto stated.

"N-no!" he said in too loudly a voice.

"Then what was that?" he answered, unconvinced, putting his hands on his hips. Their eyes locked again.

"I bit my tongue," Sasuke quickly turned away. He tried to walk around the other boy, but he wouldn't let him. He pushed him against the wall. Sasuke wasn't sure why, but he didn't even bother resisting. He could easily overpower the other boy if he wanted to. He was, after all, a genius when it came to marshal arts.

"You wouldn't have that many tears from biting you tongue."

"Shut up," Sasuke slowly turned his head to look at him in the face. Not the eyes, though, more like his chin. He knew better by now. "Hey, anyway, I don't think Hyuuga would very much like you being all over me like this."

"Sasuke-chan, I called it off with Hinata. She wasn't the right one for me," Naruto let go of his shoulders and reached into his pants pocket.

"H-how come?"

"Because," Naruto started as he went down on one knee. He used one hand to grab Sasuke's own, the other to hold up the ring, "I want _you _to marry me."

Sasuke felt himself go red. He didn't know why, but it felt almost as if his emotions were controlling him. He didn't like that, so he scowled. "Whatever," he replied as he snatched the ring from Naruto and put it on his hand. As soon as he did, Naruto jumped up and hugged him. He initially tried to push him away, but it to no avail. So he simply returned the gesture and laid his head on the blond's shoulder.

"Thank you," Naruto whispered in his ear.

* * *

Soon after the two 'lovebirds' emerged and all the initial hype was over, the Namikazes and Uchihas sat back at the dining table for business, while the younger couple went out to get better acquainted.

"So when will we get the bride wealth?" Fugaku asked Minato with no shame trailing in his voice. Mikoto kicked her husband beneath the table while keeping a bright smile.

"I think my husband is more so asking when the wedding will be held," she said with a nervous laugh.

"Well, we'd actually been planning this wedding for quite a while now," Kushina answered, "Now we mostly just need the personal touches that Sasuke and you can go over with me. It'll still be a lot of work and all, but it can be relatively soon."

"How soon is soon?" Fugaku asked her in a very businesslike manner. His wife kicked him again.

"Oh, anywhere from three to six months, depending on how elaborate Sasuke wants the wedding," Kushina figured.

"Three months then," he answered, "My boy doesn't need extravagance."

"Your...boy?" Kushina sounded greatly confused.

"I-I-I mean _girl. _You know, he-I mean _she_, was raised as a boy her whole life. Old habits stick," Fugaku managed to say fast.

"Yes, yes. I keep calling her a _he _too!" Mikoto added quickly. She kicked her husband again.

"Understandable," Minato nodded.

"Yes, very," Kushina trailed off in an unconvincing voice. The whole situation seemed very strange to her, and it seemed like there were a few things not adding up. But she let it go, as she realized that it wasn't the time for that.

"So, you want to try to have the wedding in three months?" Minato said to the two Uchihas suddenly, to change the subject.

"That would be nice. Sasuke would want this over with as soon as humanly possible," Mikoto fake smiled.

"So when are we getting paid?" Fugaku bluntly asked.

"_About that,"_ Kushina trailed off.

* * *

"So what are your hobbies?" Naruto asked Sasuke. There were taking a simple walk through the Namikaze property.

"Walking," Sasuke answered. Naruto was looking at him right in the face, but he kept his neck locked forward.

"Oh, like we are now?" he asked, sounding a bit content. Sasuke felt his face grow hot again. He didn't know if it was from anger or embarrassment...or both. Naruto went on, "Well, we can do this a lot, if you like. We can do _anything _you want. You should know, I'm not very prude. I'm willing to do certain things _before _marriage." Sasuke froze. He turned to his fiancee for a moment, feeling himself turning a bright red. He smacked him. _Bastard._

Naruto didn't seem to take any offense to that, and just laughed, "Well, it was just an offer. I'm not going to force you to do anything you don't want to. But you know, on the wedding night and all, we kinda have to do..._that._ I don't exactly have any..._experience _with that, so it _is_ something we should talk about _eventually._"

"Yes, _eventually_," Sasuke huffed, "But I'd prefer not to have that talk the day I first met you." He looked Naruto in the face for a moment before continuing to walk along the stone path. Actually, he hoped to _never _have that conversation. It wasn't as if they'd _actually _get to sleep together, him secretly being a guy and all. Plus, the thought of the two of them _together _in that way...No, he refused to even think about it.

"Why not now?" the other boy asked, "I mean, how often do you think we'll have time _alone _like this? Also, we'll be more concerned with the wedding and reception itself rather than...the _after party_."

"Way to phrase it," Sasuke let out a dry laugh. They walked silently for a moment as he carefully thought of what to say. "I...don't have any _experience _either. So, since you seem to care so much, you can be..._in charge _of all that happens. I mean, I'll be busy helping preparing the wedding anyway with all my..._bride-y stuff_. So it's not like I can be bothered about that portion or anything. But I'm not doing _anything _like that until all is said and done. Okay?"

"That's _very _fine," Naruto answered with a certain air of mischievousness in his voice. Sasuke wanted to hit him again, but resisted. It's not like any of his _plans _would actually become reality. The bride wealth would _surely _be paid before the wedding. As soon as they were paid, they would jump ship to another country, without a wedding ever happening. For all he knew, the Namikazes may be giving his parents the cash as they spoke, and he could be out tonight. He told himself that the money couldn't come too soon, that the sooner the better! But for some reason, whenever he thought that, his heart started hurting and he felt the urge to hand on Naruto's arm and walk with his head on his shoulder. Realizing that it would look good, he did so. The blond gasped in surprise, then smiled and put his arm around his waste. For some unexplained reason, Sasuke really liked this position.

"I'm really looking forward to us being a couple together," Naruto said as he kissed the top of his head, "I know you may not really think of me in that way yet, but that's okay. I have a feeling that it won't be long before I actually fall in love with you."

Sasuke didn't know how to reply.

* * *

"...and that's precisely why we want to wait until the day _after _the wedding before we give you the money," Kushina finished.

"You think our Sasuke would would just up and run? Become a runaway bride?" Mikoto replied, mock astonishment in her voice. Of course, that was _exactly _what Sasuke was planning on doing, but for now she had to play on guilt and fake her way out. She _had _to convince them to pay the family before the wedding. Sasuke may be able to fake being a girl when he had clothes on, but when it came to sex...There was no way he could keep up the act, even if it was pitch black and Naruto was wearing a blindfold. Also, Sasuke would _never_, under _any _circumstance agree to a sex-change operation.

"Well, it's not that we think little of Sasuke or anything. It'd be the same for any girl, not just her. We also want to wait until after the marriage is consummated so that she doesn't just get married and flee. We want her to prove that she _does _in fact have commitment towards our son. Once again, we'd be the same way towards _any _girl. It's nothing personal, we just don't want our son getting hurt," Minato answered smoothly.

"...Is that so?" she asked in a deadpan voice. Thankfully, Fugaku was at a loss for words and didn't start saying something stupid.

"Hey, Sasuke is a very lovely girl, and our son is a very handsome boy, if I do say so myself," Kushina chuckled offhandedly, waving one hand, "I don't think we have to worry. Plus, I can sense some big chemistry between the two. Surely they won't have issues with that. We might even find ourselves walking in on them _before _the wedding!" Fugaku coughed on his drink.

_I somehow doubt that_, Mikoto thought. She forced herself to fake-smile as she turned towards the two Namikazes and said, "Well, maybe so, but I sure hope not! We've always tried to teach our sons-I mean son and daughter, to wait until their wedding night. Though you can't be sure about Itachi, but I don't think Sasuke is the type to take that lightly."

"Of course not," Kushina's eyes narrowed. "Our son is a very good boy, himself you know. I was mostly kidding."

"Why...yes. Yes, of course. Your son is a very good boy. That's why we decided to allow Sasuke to marry him," she answered also narrowing her eyes.

"Naturally. Sasuke is a good girl. Why we are letting Naruto marry her."

Sensing the tension, Minato let out a cough. "I thought the two were getting married because they picked _each other._ This has everything to do with Naruto and Sasuke, not us. They are both adults now, and I think we should let them be."

"Of course," Kushina and Mikoto replied simultaneously tension still abound. Fugaku still couldn't find any words, and continued to sit still.

Minato simply gave up with a sigh.

* * *

After their short walk around the property, Sasuke requested for Naruto to give him a brief tour of the house, as he was really curious to see more of how Naruto's daily lifestyle occurred. He could tell that this guy was much more open and emotional than himself, so he figured that he would be able to understand him rather quickly. At least, that's what he figured...and hoped. Right now, however, he was just an air of confusion in his head, someone so different than everyone else in his life, with their introverted Uchiha ways. Sasuke felt like he _had _to understand him, similarly to how a scientist strive to understand their new findings. As Naruto took him around the house, telling him what significance every bit of furniture and detail of the rooms had, he made sure to take careful note.

"This is my room," he stopped in front of a big white door on the third floor of the great house.

Sasuke's room back home was large, but had very little in it. It consisted of just his necessary things, all kept in a tidily manner. His room had little color, little sunlight, little life. He never minded, though. He never felt the need to bother with little trinkets or bright decorations, and made sure everything was kept in it's spot, so that everything would be easy for him to find. He didn't love his room, necessarily, but it was just the way he wanted it. He always just considered it to be like any other typical room.

Naruto's room was completely different. Sasuke had a feeling that a trash dump was had less junk. Or, at the very least, smelled a lot better. Didn't the Namikaze family have a housekeeper?

"Uh, sorry about the mess," Naruto scratched his head, "My mom has been bothering me about it for ages. But for some reason, she won't allow a housekeeper to even come in it. She claims that any maid would run away in terror and never come back."

"I can see how that is so," Sasuke blinked. He looked around the room. It was pitiful, in his opinion. There was a unmade bed with a mile-high pile of clothing and other random objects. On the wall across from it was a flat screen tv mounted, with trinkets hanging off the side, or sitting on the top. There was also a computer desk with a closed laptop surrounded by empty ramen bowls, the trashcan next to it practically overflowing. The chair next to it was used as another bookshelf, as his two real ones held mostly manga, video games, a dvd collection, and action figures. The only thing that was neat was the daybed by the window. It was actually perfectly made, with only it's own pillows on top of it. It was a very pretty daybed, which didn't match the rest of the room at all.

Seeing that Sasuke was starting at it, Naruto said, "That is where I actually sleep. I also find myself spending a lot of my time sitting there. Not that there is anything to see except for our entryway, but I still like it." Sasuke walked over to it, stepping over or around anything on the floor, and sat down on it, without saying anything. He turned around to face the outside, placing his left hand fingertips on the window. After a moment, Naruto followed over there to sit beside him. He grabbed Sasuke's other hand, which was resting on the bed. Sasuke turned to face him. Their eyes locked _again._ He quickly looked away, back at the window.

"Why do you always do that?" Naruto asked.

"Do _what_?"

"Every time I try to look in your eyes, you look away."

"Shut up," Sasuke scowled, glaring out the window. Naruto decided to drop the subject.

They sat silently for a moment. "Er, do you want me to show you the rest of the house yet?"

"Whatever," Sasuke got up, starting to walk away, until he realized he was being held back. Naruto never let go of his hand. How did he not remember that? It felt natural for his hand to be held. That was strange, coming from Sasuke, who always felt uncomfortable with any form of physical contact, except for the occasional hug from his brother before he went away. With that, Naruto's cellphone started to ring from within his pocket. He let go of his hand, and answered it. He stood there awkwardly as he spoke on it.

"Hello?...Oh, hi...okay...Sure...Sure...Fine, mom...Just in my room..._No!_ Of course not!...Well, for one, we've only known each other for a day...Whatever...Yeah, we'll be right down...Okay...You sure?..._Yes _mom!...Fine, whatever...Bye." Naruto flicked his phone shut, and turned to Sasuke, "That was just my mom. She says that the meeting between our parents is over, so we should come down stairs so you all can leave. Oh, but we'll see each other again tomorrow."

"That's fine," Sasuke stated as he started to walk out.

"But first," Naruto jumped up and grabbed his arm, turning him around, "I wanted to try this." He cupped his face in his hands, brought it closer to his own, and lightly kissed him. It was just for a moment before Sasuke came to his senses and harshly pushed him away and ran down the stares, not looking at him. Naruto let him run away, and didn't make any attempt to follow him. But about halfway down the second flight of stares, he felt himself come to a halt. His heart was beating what seemed way to fast. He felt himself shaking. He forced himself to take a breath, and continued down the stares. He was in a daze like this for the rest of the day, not even aware until he found himself sitting at the dinner table in his hotel suite, and his parents told him everything about the meeting they had. Once his parents mentioned 'consummation' panic sunk in. Then reality.

He really _did _have to marry Naruto if he was going to get his family any money. And from what his parents told him about how they weren't getting paid until the marriage was consummated...he didn't know what to think.

If he told Naruto that he was actually transgendered, would he buy it? Would he mind that he still has _guy parts_? Would he call off the wedding? _Probably not, more than likely, and chances were._ He groaned.

* * *

_Review please?_

_Still debating whether or not I'm going to eventually make this a rated M fic..._

_I have nothing else to say.  
_


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